Interviews
by NitroStation
Summary: With promotions come both perks and responsibilities. New Second-in-Command Starscream is put in charge of recruitment for the Decepticons. After coming across one interesting resume in particular, he arranges for a video interview with the bot in question. And she's dressed to impress... Starscream/Airachnid, TFP pre-war oneshot, rated T for all kinds of suggestive stuff


_Airship Captain's Log, Day 14_

_We've reached what the locals call the 'Spider Scream' ship dock. Rightfully I am terrified and hungry. Mostly hungry. Note to self, get Steve to bring up some potato chips._

_First off, apologies to my followers for flooding your inboxes with these Airshipping stories, cause chances are that you hate Airachnid like 90% of the TF fandom. But if you're part of the 10%, then you're in for one hell of a ride. _

_Like most of my newest fics, this was birthed from a prompt given by my spark-sister Emmy-16 (as she's known of deviantArt where some lovely fanart for my other stories reside, the rest sadly locked away on her tumblr). With Starscream stuck with 'recruitment' duty on pre-War Cybertron and Air being the stone cold fox that she is. As of now I've written two Starscream/Airachnid stories, this one and another rather cracky one that's muuuuch more explicit and up on my own deviantArt. _

_FIRE UP THE SUGAR THRUSTERS, WE'RE GOING IN_

**xx**

Starscream was far too familiar with arrogance. Or rather, the dangers of arrogance.

So it was with a displeased groan and narrowed optics that he looked over the console screen in front of him for the third time that night. Opened on the display was a long document filled to the metaphorical brim with hubris, pride and- surely- a great deal of exaggeration.

It was, as Starscream had come to discover very quickly, the average soldier resume.

With his new promotion as Megatron's own Second-in-Command, there came as many downsides to the job as there were perks. Sure, he could smack around hapless Decepticon recruits to his spark's content. But first, he had to _find _those recruits.

As it was, Starscream had spent a hefty bulk of the last two breems sifting through the immense database of applications and forms looking for anyone who could be an iota of use to the Decepticons. Over a half were far too weak to meet the specifications, others either formally affiliated with the wretched Autobots or obviously spies looking for an easy slip into enemy ranks. And as he eyed this particular form, he knew he'd need to refill the glass of high-grade on his desk to get through it with his processor intact.

"Full military training, hand-to-hand battle master, expert class with laser shots and- atomic disintegration grids?!" he muttered and then yelled in disbelief. A wandering Eradicon and Vehicon pair nearby looked over at the sudden outburst sheepishly, before swiftly turning away at a glare from the SIC. With a sigh, he looked back at the screen with his helm in his hands. Primus, there was well over a hundred listed qualities, skills and talents on there- some he hadn't even heard of. It took him several minutes to get to the bottom of the file, where there was one last line of text.

_Video chat address..._

Most of the applications just had a message or direct contact address inserted somewhere, but with this one only video was given. Usually new recruits where just told where they were stationed, given a gun told to 'always listen to the big cannon'. But this... unique specimen... certainly piqued his curiosity From his resume alone he would qualify for an officer position, perhaps even a commander rank. Oh yes, Starscream was interested in seeing what this soldier could _really _do. He could contact him via the address, see if he was the real deal, Megatron would gain another illustrious lackey and he could go on with his life with earned- for once-smugness.

Though Airachnid was a rather strange name for a mech.

**xx**

The next night, Starscream found himself back in his office- though with a thankfully decreased workload- and nervously facing a configuring camera mounted on his console screen. Nervously? What was there to be nervous of? It wasn't as if this was the first video conference he'd taken part in. Though, he'd never had a veritable death machine on the other end. The whole screen would probably be taken up by the size of the brute's cannons. And if he _did _integrate into the Decepticons, there was always the chance that Starscream's own position of Second-in-Command could be usurped by the newcomer... and he was _not _going back to having to get his own energon every morning.

His phase of worry was broken by a loading sign spinning away on his monitor. Ah, the moment of truth neared. Straightening his frame, Starscream placed his servos on his desk and fixed his faceplates in an expression of professional blankness. Which was instantly spoiled as soon as the video feed onlined.

"Good evening, Commander Starscream," said a silky and most certainly _not _mech voice through the speakers. Black lips curved in a smile were visible on the screen, set below glowing pink hexagons and a crown of dual horns. Only a horizontal upper half of black and gold armour and purple protoform was shown, resting on a white rug of feathery fibre optics. The sight was a jolt to unsuspecting Starscream- whose optics couldn't help but linger on the tipped chestplates that faced him- but he swiftly collected himself again with a cough to clear his vocaliser.

"As to you, Ms...Airachnid." The revelation of the decorated soldier being a femme was still sinking into his systems. Most femmes lucky enough to avoid a lower labour caste classification were suited to the artful and science professions; and even ones who were drafted into the Decepticons before were standard workers or part of a mixed Seeker trine. "I see you already know about the standard Decepticon hierarchy." That in itself was strange, considering how recent Starscream's promotion to Commander was. Some of the media outlets- somehow still functioning in the wake of war, even though most were just used for propaganda purposes- hadn't even broadcast the newest change in the Decepticon ranks. Well, she certainly didn't _look _the part played out by her resume, but obviously she _was _well informed.

"But of course," she answered with a wave of one set of talons while the other lay splayed on the rug beneath her. "It isn't _too _hard to get information if you know all the right channels... and how could anyone forget such a handsome face?" A sudden heat swelled at the edges of Starscream's faceplates, and a smug smirk arrogantly displayed itself.

"Let's see how far flattery gets you, shall we?" With a data pad now in his hands displaying a copy of Airachnid's application, he at least _tried _to get the interview back on track. "It says here that you were trained at Praxus Academy, excelled at marksmanship, stealth, interrogation and hand-to-hand combat-" Airachnid nodded rather proudly at each list of her skills, allowing her optics to wander idly around Starscream- his helm tilted downwards towards the data pad and only bobbing up briefly. He really _was _one handsome mech; sharp face, big wings... and those gorgeous heels on his peds. Just as well he caught her before she could fully armour herself... at least she had some proto-armour on for _some _decency. He hadn't even noticed the unusually low-cut breastplates. Or, at least, was doing very well at _avoiding _noticing. Now, what would get his attention?

"-Quick battle manoeuvre and tracking expert, habitual hunte-" He cut off when his helm tipped upwards again at the random interval, where he was met with the sight of a sweet energon crystal shard poised between Airachnid's free talons and pushing it into her mouth, small moans of approval following through as she savoured the treat. One closed optic swivelled open towards him and she hurriedly swallowed the energon.

"Oh, excuse me, I haven't eaten at all today. I do hope you don't mind," she said while another claw reached offscreen and plucked another crystallized shard.

"N-not at all..." he replied while subconsciously tracking the piece of energon as it moved towards her mouth, dark lips wrapping around one end and... sucking at the sugary sweetness... Primus, he was never going to get through the rest of the form if she kept doing that...

"_Habitual hunter..._" he continued slowly, prompting Airachnid to pull the shard back out and interrupting his increasingly inappropriate thoughts.

"Ah yes, my favourite hobby," she said with a fond tone, motioning to the white fibre optics carpeting her. "As a matter of fact, this rug was made from the circuits of turbofoxes... all of which I hunted."  
"You certainly do live up to your qualities," he praised, still sustaining his lagged tone and trying his best to not have his optics stray from the feathery lines of the fibres to the glimpses of exposed purple protoform.

"Oh, if you think _that_'_s _impressive," she added with a mischievous smirk, only raising Starscream's levels of current discomfort. "I also have a little reward from _Blitzwing _himself- I'm sure I have it here somewhere..." At the mention of Blitzwing, Starscream's wings tensed and his optics darted downwards. Not even _he _had had the honour of meeting the renowned former Air General- well, before the war broke out and he disappeared into thin air- let alone being _awarded _by him. This Airachnid... she wasn't like anything he'd ever seen. Especially now that he'd just noticed that those long rods weren't just a trick of the light or flickering shadows... they actually extended out of her back.

The flash of thought barely lasted a klick though, and his optics raised upwards again to meet Airachnid rummaging around in one of her chestplates for something. When she pulled out a gleaming Elite Flyer Class Medal of Honour- enscribed with her name no less-, another rush of heat flared up within Starscream. Much lower than his faceplates this time.

"Would you please... excuse me for a klick?" he murmured with noticeable difficulty, and Airachnid nodded with a knowing grin as Starscream rushed for the nearby oil-change room. Five minutes later he returned significantly flustered and cooling fans spinning rapidly.

"Megatron would be _thrilled _to have you in our ranks. How soon can you report to the nearest Decepticon base?"

"Funny you should say that," she answered, still grinning widely and sitting herself up, affording Starscream a brief view of thin pelvic armour. "You are currently in the Alpha base in Kaon, correct?"  
"Y-yes, although I don't know how you would know tha-"  
"I can be there within the breem." Another wink, and the spike of a knee showed over from the edge of the video feed as Airachnid reclined herself, her arms stretching back to support her.

"I... look forward to meeting you face to face, Airachnid," Starscream said, attempting to reign in his heaving intakes of air. And this was just over _video, _ for Primus' sake. When she showed up in his office... he'd need to open a- no, _several _windows to survive that.

"As do I, Commander Starscream," she stated with a purr. A back leg stretched out to click the camera off, and the feed went to grateful static. Starscream sat in his unusually warm chair with clenched optics and claws digging grooves into the servo rests. He summoned an Eradicon servant and demanded a cube of cold high-grade.

It still wasn't enough to sate the residual throbbing in his codpiece.


End file.
